It is well known that prolonged exposure to planar essences, be they void or exist in nature, will result in the so called 'magic touch', a recurring dream about the plane the essence exposed to originated from. The magic touch is often what prompts the learning of magic.
A tranquil breeze blew gently across fields of tall wheat grass, the stalks swayed as if they were in some rhythmic dance. A Cielothar lay basking upon a boulder among the wheat. She was a young child, barely fourteen at the time. She was often found laying on her rock in fair weather when she could wear a sundress and go without shoes safely. This boulder happened to be a favored napping spot of hers.
"Sa'leolla!" A woman called from a small hut on a hill nearby "Come eat!"
Sa'leolla rolled from her rock, and into the grass; a grin spread upon her face as she ran through the field towards her house.
"Coming, mother!"
Sa'leolla called back cheerfully. It was midweek - every midweek her mother baked bread for her and her father, and they all ate together. A family tradition, one she's yet to miss. The wheat field was not far from her home. After all, it was within her mother's shouting range. Within a few minutes, Sa'leolla had scaled the loose stone path up to her thatch door, and threw it open.
"Mother!" The child elf cried in joy.
But, something was off. Her home was cold, empty and dark. It was never this way, always was a family member home, always was her home filled with warmth and activity. But not today.
"Mo-mother?"
Young Sa'leolla started uneasily as she stepped inside. She had heard her mother call her, definitely. Hadn't she? And, despite her mother's claim of there being food ready, she didn't smell anything. Nothing, at all - not even the usual smells of her home such as herbs and flowers.
"Uhh -" The wind-elf started uneasily. She turned around to leave, feeling sudden and great dread within her heart. The Cielothar was shocked to find that the door she had just entered, and the window adjacent, were both missing. The whole wall was blank as if they had never existed. She reeled back, terror starting to grip her firmly.
"Sa'leolla" Her mother's voice cooed once more, but she couldn't tell from where it came "Sa'leolla, come here."
Panic further grew in the Cielothar's chest as her mother spoke to her. She looked around wildly, around her house as it started to rot away around her. Soon, Sa'leolla found herself sinking - no, something was rising. Rising around her, black water. She was pulled under, down into the depths, and she sank. Down and down into a whirling pool, deeper and deeper. Purple and black slunk around her as she held her breath. Eldritch terrors slunk and slithered in her peripherals, though when she tried to catch a glimpse of something, anything, she found her eyes unable to focus on the dark and swirling shapes. Her panic was quickly turning to hysteria.
Sa'leolla floated in nothing. She looked around, and all she saw was an expanse of black. Devoid of everything and anyone. She was the only one in this world, this void. The darkness was ravenous - eating everything in sight until nothing remained. Then when she tried to look to her own hands, her own body, Sa'leolla saw nothing. The plains elf opened her mouth to scream - nothing came out, and nothing came in. The nothingness rushed through her, down her throat, and into her lungs. It ate her from the inside out.
She was drowning.
---
Sa'leolla awoke with a start and a desperate gasp, the sudden urge to sit up came over her as she grabbed at her throat. Green eyes dart about frantically - all that came into vision was the gray of cells and the dark shapes of other sleeping slaves. Her panic has subsided in her waking state, though it was not forgotten. The dream never left the Cielothar's mind, and she did not sleep again that night.
I came across this on the wiki, and thought it looked pretty interesting, and that led to me writing a story about Sa'leolla, a previous slave to Kathar. I figure she's probably been exposed to void essences many times through her slavehood, and probably has recurring night terrors about the void.
I'm new to writing bigger pieces, and this was fun practice.
I'm new to writing bigger pieces, and this was fun practice.
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